Human beings have always taken for granted the effects of Nature, and his importance as a force for betterment. From the earliest days, management as a profession has consciously sought to understand and maximise the effects of Nature on the human factors involved. Throughout history, management has been consciously directed towards the appreciation and protection of natural resources. Man is a part of Nature, which affects each other and their environments on a daily basis. It is in the management of natural resources that we can learn the vital lessons of how to improve the effects of Nature on human performance and its impacts on the achievement of organisational objectives.
Managers must therefore be aware of the relationships between all the natural factors and the effects upon people, their emotions, motivation, thinking, creativity, production and motivation. For example, there are many important relationships between atmosphere, climate, landforms, vegetation, water resources, land management and natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes and floods. The effects of natural disasters are of primary concern for managers because they interrupt the normal work flow and impose urgent interruptions to production. Moreover, disruption of production and movement of resources towards and from the site of disaster can cause economic, social and political disturbances. The main task of management is therefore to anticipate these events and plan for their management. It is also important to foresee and prevent any adverse effects of environmental changes on man, as is done by scientists and technicians in their daily activities.
The management of resources involves five aspects, management as science, management as art, management as a profession and management as a process. There are two major components in management as science; science of action and management of knowledge. Managers should therefore be concerned with understanding these two aspects of management. These two elements include the physical sciences and management information systems.
Natural science has achieved worldwide importance as a result of technological developments. Technological management as a whole encompasses management as a process and the aspects of science of action. Technological management as a whole encompasses management as a process and management as a profession. Technological management as a profession needs specialized management education along with practical experience and theoretical background. Management education focuses on management as a process, and thus management professionals need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business, management or an equivalent area before becoming a full-fledged profession.
Management as science is related to management as a process in which management practitioners use various theories and models to achieve desirable results. The management practitioners are guided by a team approach that considers both the direct and indirect effects of management policies and actions. These concepts are used to develop strategies that will address issues through various layers of management. As part of the management education curriculum, the importance of philosophy and management practices of a country are taught. The philosophy of management is to be combined with management practices to achieve desirable results; however, as a profession management focuses more on applying theoretical knowledge in management to achieve desirable results.
Science and management help to create better management practices to improve organizational performance. These practices can be applied at the individual level to achieve desired results. The management education helps students in defining roles, identifying problems, planning, implementing solutions, analyzing and measuring relevant data, and developing plans to achieve good quality products and services at competitive prices. It teaches students how to use information technology for internal management as well as external management purposes.
The main aim of management is to increase the knowledge of employees as well as the managers to achieve organizational goals. Managers should possess excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking skills, as well as managerial skills. The overall success of any organisation depends on the management effectiveness.
In business, the primary objective is to earn a profit. Profit should be both immediate and long-term; the ultimate aim in management is to build up the organization so that it can profit from its own effort. Organizational goals may include increasing stockholders’ equity, achieving financial viability, expansion of market share, and enhancing competitiveness. Good management focuses on the attainment of specific objectives, which are essential for the achievement of organizational objectives.